This invention relates generally to improvements in medical swabs and the like of the type used primarily for collecting biological specimens for purposes of performing a variety of medical tests with respect those specimens. More particularly, this invention relates to a relatively simple and self contained culture collection swab and related apparatus for contacting the swab with one or more selected reagents.
Medical swabs in general are well known in the art for use in collecting biological specimens from a patient for further analysis. Such medical swabs commonly comprise a fibrous swab tip on one end of an elongated stick or shaft which is manually handled to contact the swab tip with selected tissue cells or other biological specimen, for example, within the ear, nose or throat of a patient, resulting in adherence of some of the biological specimen to the swab tip. The thus-collected biological specimen on the swab tip is then contacted with one or more selected reagents which react with the specimen to indicate, for example, the presence of infection or other information regarding patient condition. Tests commonly performed with such collected specimens include, by way of example, fluorescent tests, enzymatic tests, monoclonal based tests, etc.
In accordance with conventional techniques, the collected biological specimen is normally transferred from the swab tip to a laboratory slide or other laboratory apparatus such as a test tube or the like for contact with the selected reagent and further analysis. However, it is frequently difficult to insure transfer of a sufficient specimen quantity from the swab tip to the laboratory slide or the like to insure accurate test results. Moreover, in many instances, the collected specimen must be transported to a medical laboratory or the like for performance of selected assays, but delays between the time of specimen collection and actual test performance can result in partial or complete drying of the specimen, with a corresponding decrease in test reliability.
Various improved swab collection devices have been proposed in efforts to provide enhanced reagent-specimen contact and further to sustain the specimen during post collection transport to a medical laboratory or the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,129 which disloses a conventional collection swab removably contained within telescopically interfitting plastic casing components. One of the casing components carries a frangible ampoule with a selected reagent therein, wherein in the ampoule is locked by fiber wadding into one end of the casing component. A biological specimen is collected on the swab tip and the swab is reinserted into the casing, after which the ampoule is broken to permit the reagent therein to soak through the wadding for contacting the adjacent swab tip and collected specimen. However, this device does not insure actual or substantial reagent contact with the biological specimen, nor does it immerse or insure full saturation of the swab tip with the reagent to prevent partial or complete drying of the collected specimen.
The improved specimen collection and test unit of the present invention overcomes these problems and disadvantages by providing an elongated swab for collecting a biological specimen, in combination with means for direct and substantial immersion or saturation contact between the collected specimen and one or more reagents.